At the blade's edge (Marly only)

Since graduation Arawn hadn't given the sparring grounds much thought. Since he was now paying for private lessons his tutor was a good enough he didn't need a partner. But his tutor was the one to suggest he try to fight other people.
"Learning how to fight is one thing." he began, "But you're only learning how to fight me." he smiled. "You have to learn to adapt to various situations, so try you hand against people you don't know."

Taking those words to heart, he went to the sparring circles he visited when in academy. But all he found were fledgling students. Most of them avoided eye contact with him. His black shinigami robes made the students nervous. They respected and feared him oddly enough. And he was just an unseated officer. Those brave enough to face him were below his level in skill. One of the attending instructors suggested he move over to the other area where more skilled people gathered. Another den of wolves awaited Arawn. He moved to the new area.

The new area was a field of black robes. Various shinigami walked the area with blades of different sizes. Some stood chatting and joking while other engaged in combat. The whole area looked like miniature half coliseums. There rose a small bleacher from each circle of bleached sand. People watched and cheered from stone seats. A match ended in a ring, and the crowd emptied the mini-stands. Arawn stepped into sand filled circle and awaited his opponent. He was worried about using a real blade for the sparring match, but quickly realized his opponent would do the same. This area was different from the last, there was something that looked like a medical tent in the far corner. Some risk, but not too much.

"A day off?" Kurama read the flier that had been posted on the door to the mess hall. He'd been wondering where most of his squad mates had gone off to but it didn't occur to him that they were actually following orders. It had been a hot couple of days and the men seemed to want to spend most of their time inside the barracks or take a trip to the human world for routine patrol. According to the flier that he'd just picked up, they were actually spending the day over at the Shinigami Academy, sparring for the students' entertainment.

It specifically requested those that had mastered releasing their zanpakuto for a tournament that would be taking place... in about three minutes... 'Great.' Kurama thought to himself, 'That means I have to shunpo the entire way there in order to arrive before it was to begin.' He did so, folding the flier and placing it into his pack as he flew across the Seireitei. He'd arrived with only a minute to spare and began looking about. He noticed a shinigami standing in an open dueling circle.

He entered the ring and sized up his opponent. "You don't look like a master of shikai... Ah well, what are your terms since I appear to be your challenger?"

Arawn smiles at his opponent, the man is obviously more skilled, but offers him choice of rules. "The best and worst type of opponent is one that can afford to be kind" he mutters to himself. He chuckles and speaks aloud, "In truth I am the challenger. I have much to learn, but somethings can't be learned. " Arawn chooses his words unable to read the man. "I will give my all. Our only weapon will be our blades." He pulls the asauchi from it's sheath across his back. "We fight until one of us surrenders or is unable to fight." Arawn raises the sword into a guard position, his eyes locked on his opponent.